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2026 Events and Festivities
Maui events in September 2026 lean cultural, not commercial. The island opens its Festivals of Aloha calendar, a competitive hula festival returns to the MACC, and the Lā ʻUlu Breadfruit Festival fills Maui Nui Botanical Gardens on Labor Day weekend. It's a quieter, more local month than the resort high seasons. Here's what's worth planning around, with official September dates checked again in early July.
Festivals of Aloha (Maui Nui Style)
Maui's chapter of the statewide Aloha Festivals kicks off the month with the Wailuku First Friday street party on Market Street (Sept 4). Later in the month, the official Festivals of Aloha schedule lists the Aloha Friday gathering at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului on September 11, followed by the Richard Hoʻopiʻi Leo Kiʻekiʻe Falsetto Contest at the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua on September 19. The same calendar pushes additional Maui Nui events into October — Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Hāna, Wailea, and Makawao dates — so treat September as the opening stretch, not the whole season.
When: September 4th (Wailuku First Friday); September 11th (Aloha Friday at QKC); September 19th (Falsetto Contest), 2026
A free, family-friendly festival at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens celebrating ʻulu (breadfruit) — a staple of the Hawaiian diet. Expect Hawaiian music and hula, cultural activities, cooking demos, small-plate chef tastings, and ʻulu products and trees for sale. Parking is free across the street at the War Memorial complex.
A two-day competitive hula festival at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, bringing adult hālau together for solo, group, and kūpuna categories across both kahiko (ancient) and ʻauana (modern) styles. It's a ticketed event and a rare chance to see hula judged at the competitive level. The organizer has posted 2026 dates as September 11-12.
One of Hawaiʻi's classic team races, the Hāna Relay runs in stages along the winding Hāna Highway, with teams handing off baton-style through the rainforest curves of East Maui. The 56th annual running is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026 — worth knowing about even if you're not racing, since traffic on the road to Hāna gets busy that morning.
Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7 in 2026. It's a three-day weekend, so expect busier beaches and a livelier feel across the island — worth factoring into your timing if you're visiting that week.
When: Monday, September 7th, 2026
Where: Statewide
September is a strong cultural month on Maui — the Festivals of Aloha opening events, Lā ʻUlu, and Kū Mai Ka Hula are the ones to build a trip around. Looking just past the month: the Maui County Fair returns to the War Memorial complex in Wailuku October 1-4, 2026, and the Festivals of Aloha schedule continues with additional Maui Nui dates through late October.
Dry conditions on Oʻahu today, with breezy wind in exposed areas. Drier weather continues through Wednesday as moisture clears out.
A medium-sized northwest swell will bring elevated surf to north and west-facing shores tonight through Sunday morning—conditions may briefly reach advisory levels. East-facing shores stay rough through the weekend. Winds remain breezy through Sunday, easing slightly Monday and Tuesday before picking up again Wednesday. A Small Craft Advisory is active through Monday morning for most coastal waters due to wind and sea state. Scattered showers arrive Thursday into Friday.
South and west shore beaches work well through Sunday for calmer conditions. North shore is worth watching tonight and Sunday morning if you're drawn to bigger waves.
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Skies are drying out across Maui today through Wednesday as moisture clears. Winds will be noticeably breezy, especially in exposed and terrain-favored spots.
North and west-facing shores will see elevated surf tonight into Sunday morning as a medium-sized northwest swell moves in—conditions may briefly reach advisory levels. East-facing shores stay rough through the weekend. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through Monday morning for coastal waters due to wind and sea conditions. Winds ease slightly late Monday and Tuesday, then strengthen again Wednesday. The next chance of scattered showers arrives Thursday through Friday.
If you're heading to the beach, south and west shores are your best bet through Sunday. North shore is worth watching tonight and Sunday morning if you're into bigger waves.
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Mostly clear and dry today on the Big Island, with noticeably breezy winds in exposed areas and terrain-favored spots. That breeze continues through Sunday.
North and west-facing shores will see elevated surf tonight into Sunday morning as a medium-sized northwest swell arrives—conditions may briefly reach advisory levels. East-facing shores stay rough through the weekend. South shores stay small. A Small Craft Advisory covers most coastal waters through Monday morning due to wind and sea conditions. Winds ease slightly late Monday and Tuesday, then pick up again Wednesday. Scattered showers arrive statewide Thursday to Friday.
Head to the south and west shores for beach and snorkeling through Sunday. If bigger waves interest you, the north shore has surf to watch tonight into Sunday morning.
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Drier air is moving in through Wednesday. Winds will be noticeably breezy, especially in exposed areas.
Tonight into Sunday morning, a medium-sized northwest swell will push elevated surf onto the north and west shores—conditions may briefly reach advisory levels. East-facing shores stay rough through the weekend. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through Monday morning for coastal waters due to wind and sea state. Winds ease slightly late Monday and Tuesday, then pick up again Wednesday. Scattered showers arrive Thursday or Friday.
Hit the south and west shores for swimming and snorkeling through Sunday. If you want to watch big waves, the north shore is worth a look tonight into Sunday morning.
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